Document Release: Jesuits creating Prophetic Networks

In 2008, the 35th General Congregation identified the challenges that globalization poses for the mission of the Society of Jesus and, at the same time, pointed out the potentialities that lie in its being and acting as a universal apostolic body. International and interprovincial collaboration has been progressively strengthened for better apostolic work, and networking has been established as one of the best ways to do so. “We encourage the Society’s government at all levels to explore means by which more effective networking might take place among all apostolic works associated with the Society of Jesus.” GC 35, Dec 3, n. 28

In 2012, at Boston College, the Jesuit Networking project convened a group of experts in networks, academics, Jesuit international network leaders and heads of the global Jesuit governance, and published a document on International Networking in the Society of Jesus (Spanish | English | Portuguese.)  

In 2016, General Congregation 36 continued this reflection, further emphasizing the importance of networking as one of the key perspectives in our contemporary way of proceeding, encouraging the different governing bodies of the Society of Jesus to “actively facilitate, foster, accompany and evaluate international and intersectoral networks.” GC 36, Dec 2, n. 9

As stated in GC 36, there is a clear need for research, systematization and formulation of the challenges and potential of the international network of Jesuit institutions to facilitate and maximize their impact as a transnational organization with a clear universal mission.

In 2018, five years after our first meeting, we decided to organize a second conference at Georgetown University, in order to continue the conversation and catalyze the connections of professionals, researchers and positions of governance of the Society of Jesus. Today, we are releasing the document resulting from these working sessions: Prophetic Networks for a Universal Mission (English| Spanish)

During our first conference, we tried to cover a first general approach to Jesuit Networking; this time, we focused on three dimensions: strategy, culture and government. The basic question behind the conference was: what do the networks offer to the Mission of the Society of Jesus?

We concluded the conference convinced that networks expand the possibilities of our apostolic body by allowing us to see new organizational configurations while even enabling us to discover new areas of our mission. It is this prophetic dimension of Jesuit networks that, starting from what we are today, allow us to have an idea of ​​what we could become tomorrow. Download the document, Prophetic Networks for a Universal Mission (English | Spanish)